Rice women’s basketball saw a 13-game non-conference game winning streak come to an end on Sunday in Fort Worth, falling to TCU 67-42.
Baskets were at a premium on Sunday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. Rice women’s basketball made its first shot to take a 2-0 lead, but didn’t string together consecutive made baskets until the opening possession of the third quarter. TCU wasn’t shooting much better. The Horned Frogs edged the Owls 36.2 percent to 25.4 percent from the field, but a high-scoring game was never in the cards.
Despite the shooting woes, Rice hung tight with TCU through the first quarter of action. Things were neck-and-neck for a while until TCU went on a 17-2 run, pushing a level game to the brink of a blowout in the matter of roughly five minutes of time on the court.
Rice was able to chip away at the deficit in the opening minutes of the third quarter. Malia Fisher got the run started with back-to-back layup, others contributed a few timely shots behind her, but things went cold once again from the field shortly thereafter. Rice did not make a field goal in the final 6:20 of the third quarter. That allowed TCU to stretch the lead from 10 to 18 entering the final frame.
Without any sort of consistent offensive production, Rice had to watch TCU pull away and seal the game. The loss snaps a streak of 13 consecutive non-conference victories for the Owls.
Final Box | TCU 67 – Rice 42
FINAL | TCU 67 – @RiceWBB 42
Owls' 13-game non-conference winning streak comes to an end in Fort Worth. pic.twitter.com/ogEQZLiceA
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) November 12, 2023
Key takeaway | Who is going to step up on offense?
Rice missed four or more consecutive shots on four separate occasions in the first half against TCU. The Horned Frogs only had one such cold stretch during that period. Come the third and fourth quarters, Rice suffered through an 0-for-10 stretch from the field.
On some days, the shots are going to fall. That’s basketball. It happens. Finding ways to manufacture easy looks and get to the free throw line becomes the necessary alternative on those afternoons. Even that sort of Plan B never materialized from the Owls on Sunday.
The slow day on the offense exposed one lingering question for this team, which boasts as talented and as deep of a roster as they’ve had under head coach Lindsay Edmonds thus far: do they have a dominant scorer?
Edmonds’ teams have tended toward balanced production. No single player has carried the load on offense, it’s been a collective effort. In general, the approach makes a lot of sense and it’s worked for this program. But on days like today, Rice women’s basketball needs someone to take command and will the offense to score.
Nobody rose to the occasion against TCU. Will someone take up that mantle on the next tough day from the field? Rice is going to have more hard shooting days. They need to figure out a solution.
Up Next: vs Georgia Tech (Thr. Nov 16)
